It's ALIVEEEE!!!

... my bicycle that is. Impressive, really, considering the mild [reads: months and months..and months] of neglect my poor bike has suffered. Despite said horrendous injustice to its cyclistic lifestyle, my excellent bike still ... bikes... cycles... locomotes? Still does what a bike does. :D

Yes, its rusted on all the chains and brakes, yes the front tire is slightly flat and the back tire has a wobble, but HEY! Thats not bad for suffering through life in a barn, life in Canadian winter and THEN life in canadian summer! My bike likes to live naturally you know, in the great outdoors. *snort* Right. Poor thing. I really should take better care of it. Her. My bike is too pretty to be a boy. She doesnt have a name, but I picture it something feminine but strong. Ill work on it.

Her paint is fading, her chains rusty, her wheels wobbly, but still, when I broke out old [insert name here] today, out of sheer boredom, she was ready to roll! Well, not litterally, as she required LIBERAL application of some WD40 before such actions could be completed, but you get my drift. As I backed her out of her notatomb, digging her out of the weedy vines grown over her once-beautiful purple paint, her chains stuck and gears cruched slightly, but its all better now.

I *tried* to rescue my dearest back in January, determined to take her to Florida with me. Such rescue attempts failed though, as she was stuck fast within her icy bonds. MURIEL! Ive got it! I shall name her MURIEL. Dearest bike, I hearby dub thee Muriel. A wonderful name, betokening your wisdom and years of service, but still alluding to your youthful spirit and once-known beauty. Excellent. Perhaps, one day, I shall gallavant to Ye Olde Hardware Store and away with some new paint to restore your former glory.

Moral of the story here : Dont leave you bike out in the elements for months on end. They dont like it. By some miracle Muriel survived. I am eternally grateful to her manufacturer for making her so hardy so as to withstand my obviously cruel [and non-deliberate] treatment. To celebrate the reincarnation of my lovely old friend, we took a ride through the country side that is my current home [for another week or so] It was pretty. It was dicey. I didnt realize the wobble was there until I was halfway up the street. It was scenic. The company at the end was the best - I found Ajax and made him come with me. He was *thrilled* to say the least [onlynotreallybecausehewantedtosleepontheporch]

Muriel and I had a fabulous re-connection, which promises to bring more joy to both of us daily. I might have to get that tire straightened out first though... She got a new home today too - a little cushier than the last, moving up in the world by moving under the gooseneck of my trailer. Youre in the big leagues now, Muriel. The big leagues!

:-D

S

PS: No this doesnt have anything to do with ponies... sorry

PPS: Yes, I googled Old Lady Names to find a name. It worked. There are sites called Old Lady names.. how awesome is that?